Development of a global framework for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E;) of the education sector response to HIV and AIDS

The education sector plays an important role in the multi-sectoral response to HIV and AIDS, contributing to the knowledge and personal skills essential for HIV prevention. It is crucial to show evidence of the impact of education sector responses.

The UNAIDS Inter Agency Task Team (IATT) on Education started the process of identifying internationally-recognised indicators capable of measuring the process and outcomes of education sector programmes to address HIV and AIDS.

In East and Southern Africa, UNESCO and partners undertook a rapid assessment of M&E; practices in 11 SADC countries. The findings were presented to ministries of education and representatives of national AIDS councils from 15 countries in two stakeholder meetings. They discussed the global indicators selected by the IATT on Education and proposed additional indicators for countries with high HIV prevalence. The meetings were organized jointly by UNESCO, UNICEF and the Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). UNESCO staff working on HIV and AIDS in field offices in Africa were also consulted on the indicators through a series of workshops.

In a parallel process, an M&E; framework on Education and HIV and AIDS was developed for the Caribbean. This involved extensive consultation with regional stakeholders including a survey of Ministries of Education and Health in eight countries and a workshop with HIV and AIDS Education Coordinators, Planners and M&E; Specialists from Ministries of Education and Health in 12 countries. The draft framework and capacity building tool will be piloted in two Caribbean countries in 2011. Presentations and reports from the workshop, as well as background documents, can be found at: http://capacity_workshop.educan.org/. UNESCO partnered with the Education Development Centre (EDC), the UNAIDS Caribbean Regional Support Team in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Working Group and the PANCAP Coordinating Unit.

The global M&E; framework, based on the outcomes of these processes, was refined at an international technical consultation, held in Paris in 25-27 October 2010, which involved IATT on Education members, stakeholders from the SADC region and the Caribbean, as well as UNESCO field and headquarters staff. The framework was endorsed at the IATT on Education meeting in Brussels on 3 December and piloting of the new indicators is planned for 2011.

• 27-12-2010